Golden Joysticks 2009 - Live blog

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Voting for the 27th Annual Golden Joystick Awards closed with a massive 1,223,646 votes cast. These are your awards and that's why they matter. We'll be kicking off our live blog from the show at 1pm where Andy will be roaming the floor as the industry's finest tucks into a posh lunch. Does Activision prefer chicken or pork, who drank all the wine and how funny was host Sean Lock?

In the meantime, follow the Golden Joystick Awards on Twitter here.

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- We've arrived at Park Lane, strutted down the red carpet and been escorted by a glamorous lady to our dimly lit table in the corner of the press room. The wi-fi works and sparkling water's free. This is the high life, kids.

- The press room's situated around the back of the stage, so we can hear the music and chatter of happy games industry diners rumbling through the walls. Us? We're getting the Dominos Pizza in.

- Considering the comedy potential of ordering Dominos for the Rockstar table.

- Dominos pizza plans aborted. The hotel staff have just arrived with a ample supply of lamb curry, which I've managed to dip my tie in. Slick.

- A man in the corner of the media room is celebrating breaking the world speed record for Sonic 2's opening level (22 secs off the top of my head). I'm almost positive we could beat it.

- We hear somebody's reached their alchohol already. Well done that man.

- Talking of alchohol, there seems to be none of it in the media room. Which is just as well because we've got another eight hours of this to survive.

- Sean Lock's due to come on in about 30 minutes. The suited and booted chaps in the ballroom next to us are probably tucking into their desert about now. I'm still trying to get the lamb off of my soiled tie.

- Tie watch: the wet patch is fading. 20 more minutes and I'll be almost clean enough to present to the games industry. Ahem.

- Somebody's blatantly spotted me blogging about my tie. Better do something games related... oh look, it's Edge legend Tony Mott!

- Oo-eer, National Lottery man just piped up to let us know it's all kicking off in ten minutes. We'd bet our sparkling water it won't.

- 5 minutes now, he says. Didn't he say 10 minutes, 10 minutes ago?

- Sean Lock's lurking around the media room with us lot now. I hope he can't see my tie.

- "Get to your seats as fast as you can!" Shouts National Lottery man, who we really need to find out the actual name of.

- Future CEO Robert Price takes to the stage. We hope he isn't doing standup - those Christmas forums are serious business.

- As predicted it's no funny business: games contribute 4 billion to the UK economy every year apparently. And with that fact, Mr. Price leaves the stage. Ta.

- It's Sean Lock!! "Lovely to be here. When I first heard I was hosting the Golden Joysticks I was super excited, like a tramp with a fiver".

- "When I took this gig they said I didn't have to make any jokes about videogames, which was a big f***ing relief to be honest."

- "I often buy PlayStation magazines. I read them on the train when I want noboy to talk to me."

- Political correction is going mad these days. I went to the zoo the over day and saw a mongoose. You can't say that these days - it's a 'special needs goose'."

- "They say a women's work is never done. Maybe that's why they get paid less." That one went down well here (no, really).

- It's time for the awards. "If you win one of these awards feel proud, they say more about you than your temporary internet files ever could."

- DJ Hero's sponsoring the afterparty, with DJ Shadow. Wicked.

- Down to business: The first award is the Nitro Family Game of the Year, and the award goes to... LittleBigPlanet. Ahead of Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero: World Tour. Well deserved, we reckon.

- Next is the Bliss Handheld Game of the Year. The Bliss girls are always fun to talk to about Achievements after the awards. Call of Duty: World at War comes third, Pokemon Platinum in second and the award goes to... GTA: Chinatown Wars on DS. Another great choice by the gaming public.

- Retailer of the year next. PC Zone editor Ali Wood is presenting, we hope she doesn't fall in those massive heels. In third is Game Stop, second Amazon.co.uk and the winner is... Game. That's the third time in four years they've won.

- Next up is the Mobile Game of the Year sponsored by T3, who owe me a beer. Third is Worms World Party, second is Assassin's Creed: Altier's Chronicles and the winner is... Metal Gear Solid: Touch.

- Nintendo Game of the Year now. ONM editor Neil Long has wicked intro music to rock onto the stage with. Third is GTA: Chinatown Wars, second is Pokemon Platinum and in the winner slot... Call of Duty: World at War. A controversial one, possibly?

- MSN Multiplayer Game of the Year. Third place is Killzone 2, runner-up is Left 4 Dead (a big "awwww" there from the crowd) and the winner is Call of Duty: World at War. The Joysticks voters certainly love CoD.

- These are coming thick and fast now. Rampage Soundtrack of the year next: Metal Gear Solid 4 is third, Fallout 3 is second and the winner is... Guitar Hero: World Tour. Activision are going to need a wheelbarrow to get all those awards home.

- Big one: it's Xbox Game of the Year, presented by OXM editor John 'I'll be at the pub at 7' Hicks. Third place is Call of Duty: World at War ("thank god" says Lock), second is Fallout 3 and the winner is... Gears of War 2.

- PC Game of the Year is up. Voted at third place is Call of Duty: World at War, WoW in second and the winner is... Fallout 3. Well deserved. Remember it missed the voting window for last year's awards.

- Amiqus Game Developer of the year. Third is Lionhead studios, second is Rockstar North and first, controversially is Jagex, creators of Runescape. A big cheer from their table there. That's what happens when you've got a massive voting fanbase!

- PlayStation Game of the Year goes to Killzone 2. We missed the runners-up there, we'll make sure they're posted on the front page shortly.

- Tim 'N64 Magazine' Weaver is up for Publisher of the Year. Third place is Bethesda Softworks, second is Valve and the winner is... Activision Blizzard. I get the feeling Call of Duty fans have been actively voting.

- Next is Online Game of the Year. Second is WoW: Wrath of the Lich King, second is Call of Duty: World at War and the winner is... Left 4 Dead. A cheer from the crowd there.

- We're down to the final two. Here the One to Watch, sponsored by ShortList. Third place goes to Final Fantasy XIII, second is Assasin's Creed II and the winner is... Modern Warfare II. It was never going to be anything else, was it?

- Struck a deal with Future PR man Will Guyatt before the final award. A beer for a shoutout. Pleasure doing business with you, Will.

- James Richards has officially broke the world speed record for Sonic 2's first level. We know, because he's on stage and he's won lots of Lucazade.

- 1.2 million gamers voted in this year's awards. We're officially the world's most popular games awards - well done, chaps.

- The big One: Ultimate Game of the Year sponsored by Zavvi.co.uk. Third place is Left 4 Dead. Drama now. Second place goes to... Call of Duty: World at War. Oooh. And the winner is... Fallout 3. It's been a year since release, but Bethesda's opus certainly has a massive fanbase. Well done, Bethesda.

- And that's it for another year. The Golden Joysticks afterparty sponsored by DJ Hero is about to kick off next door. We promise to behave ourselves (sort of), and don't forget to check out our afterparty Tweets throughout the night - they're bound to be brilliant.

CVG Staff